


among the stars that have a different birth

by TechnicalTragedy



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Anniversary, Friendship, Gen, Moon, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-23 03:56:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8313112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TechnicalTragedy/pseuds/TechnicalTragedy
Summary: Magnus ruminates on dying light and remembers what he's lost. Taako is occasionally a good listener. Somehow, they think they'll be okay.





	

**Author's Note:**

> idk man i just started thinking about the moon because she's beautiful...
> 
> title is from "Art thou pale for weariness" by Percy Shelley

The light fades more quickly on the moon. You'd think it would be the opposite, that the light would never quite leave, but in reality, you can blink and lose a whole day.

But this isn't the real moon.

Magnus remembers watching the moon with Julia. She was fascinated by it, kept track of the waxing and waning, and swore by the moon's powers of protection. When Magnus made the gazebo they were wedded in, he carved the phases of the moon over every archway so she could watch over them and guard their marriage.

It has to be some kind of irony that Magnus wound up with an organization that has a base on an imitation of the thing Julia had loved most.

Magnus watches the light slip fast over the ground, shadow chasing hot on its heels like a race being run. It's cruel, he thinks, that Julia couldn't see this. She'd love this place, wouldn't have hesitated to make it a home where no one felt unwelcome or unwanted. Magnus misses her fiercely.

"Guess who's got two thumbs and a kickass sword on his back? Not you, that's for sure!" Taako says, suddenly appearing like he'd used Blink to reach Magnus.

"Good goof, Taako," Magnus says, in a tone of voice that indicates it was not at all a good goof.

Taako pouts, stepping in front of Magnus and crossing his arms. "Turn that frown upside down, kemosabe, you're harshing my vibe."

Magnus sighs, shaking his head. "Sorry. It's just. A bad day."

Taako hunches down to force Magnus to meet his eyes. "Anything you wanna spill to ol' Taako?"

"Just," Magnus pauses, thinking of how best to phrase the longing, the stinging ache, the empty pit in his chest and the search for anything to fill it. "It's an anniversary," he says.

"Oh," Taako says. He visibly retreats into himself a bit, something rueful flitting across his face in an instant before vanishing. "I know a thing or two about those, my dude. They can be a real kick in the teeth."

Magnus huffs a laugh he doesn't feel. "Yeah. Don't I know it."

"This about your girl?" Taako says. "Julia, yeah? You say her name in your sleep sometimes."

"Yeah," Magnus says. "Today's, uh, the anniversary of our wedding."

Taako grins. "Aw, sweet! Wish you could be planetside with her."

"She's, uh, it's not really a happy occasion anymore," Magnus says.

"Bad marriage?" Taako guesses. "Been in a couple rotten relationships myself, if you catch my drift."

Magnus swallows, looks past Taako to the last bit of light, just a strip whittling away to nothing on the surface of the BoB headquarters. "She's dead," he says. "But we were happy, before."

There's silence as the light finally vanishes.

"Shit," Taako says. "I look like a damn idiot. Sorry to hear about it. That sucks, Mag."

"Yeah," Magnus says faintly. "It does suck."

Another pervasive silence ensues. Taako looks like he's ready to bolt, glancing around, trying to find a way out that won't seem too rude.

"Sucks less now," Magnus says. "You and Merle, the rest of the Bureau, you guys make it suck just a little less."

Taako smiles hesitantly, then with more confidence when it's returned. "That's some sappy shit, dog. If it's any help or whatever, I feel the same."

Magnus nods, still smiling just enough to convince himself it's real. "It's a lot of help, Taako."

"Dunk," Taako says. "C'mon, sadsack, let's go tear shit up with Partyboy."

Taako leads the way, and though part of Magnus is still occupied with the last remnants of light, the moon waxing and waning and Julia's wide eyes filled with stars, the rest of him follows Taako off into whatever the future holds.

**Author's Note:**

> come moonlight with me on tumblr [@aramente](http://aramente.tumblr.com)


End file.
